Shamli man dies after scuffle, FIR filed against 5, including 2 journalists, for post claiming ‘mob lynching’

According to the complaint lodged by Firoz’s family, he was beaten up by three men — Pinky, Pankaj and Rajendra, all residents of Ganga Arya Nagar — around 8 pm and he died around 11 pm after reaching his house, said the police.

An FIR in this regard was registered under BNS Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) on July 5.

No arrests have been made in the case so far, said the police.

According to the post shared by the five men, Firoz was “killed by members of another community” on the suspicion of breaking into their house. The FIR was registered on a complaint by a sub-inspector, Manendra Kumar, of Thana Bhawan police station in Shamli. The two journalists were identified as Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi, and the other three as Asif Rana, Saif Allahabadi and Ahmed Raza Khan.

The FIR stated: “Regarding the incident of deceased Firoz… Zakir Ali, Wasim Akram Tyagi, Asif Rana, Saif Allahabadi and Ahmed Raza Khan posted/reposted from their X account… They wrote that late at night in Jalalabad town of Thana Bhawan police station area, a young man, whose name is said to be Firoz alias Kala Qureshi, was beaten to death by some people of another community on suspicion of breaking into the house. Anyone would kill someone like this and then say that he/she had suspicions.”

It further said, “Because of the tweets (posts) by the above persons on their X account, there is an enmity and anger among the people of a particular community… Due to this, there is every possibility of communal harmony and local peace getting disturbed. Please take legal action in this regard.”

The FIR against the five has been registered under BNS Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 353 (public mischief).

Journalist Zakir Ali told The Indian Express, “Shamli Police has registered an FIR against me for reporting the ‘lynching case’. This is not the first time. Even before this I had been attacked five times because of my reporting. Not only me but other journalists too are surprised (over the police action on his post).”

“Two days ago, a person named Firoz Qureshi died in Jalalabad, Shamli, after which his family members kept his body on the road and blocked it. Theyaccused Pankaj, Pinky and Rajendra and many of their associates of mob lynching. The police also registered an FIR against the accused, but because of my report based on the statements of Firoz’s family members, I am being targeted. My only crime is that I wrote what it is… I could not dilute it by calling the incident a heart attack or an accidental death,” said the journalist.

He further said he will challenge the FIR in the High Court and Supreme Court.

The Shamli police have maintained that it was not the case of mob lynching. “On the night of July 4, Firoz had entered the house of accused Rajendra in an intoxicated state. A scuffle broke out between the two parties. Later Firoz’s family took him home where he died. There was no serious visible injury on Firoz’s body. On the basis of the complaint of (Firoz’s) family members, a case was registered under relevant sections and post-mortem of the body was done,” said the police in a statement.

“It was also informed earlier that it is clear from the post-mortem report that the cause of death was not assault. The deceased had entered the accused’s house drunk. Despite this, the incident was deliberately given a communal colour and it was posted on social media as mob lynching with the aim of spreading ill will. Action will be taken in the FIR registered as per the post-mortem report. Appropriate FIR has also been registered against the malicious post. The accusations are irrational and hence refuted,” read the statement.

The police said that the viscera of the deceased is preserved and the report is awaited for the same as the cause of the death is unclear. The inspector in-charge of Thana Bhawan police station has been directed to take strict legal action against those booked for posting “wrong” information, the police said.